leveraging the internet for economic development

www.gisplanning.com

ED Marketing & Attraction

Madison, WisconsinSeptember 25, 2012

DAY 1

Leveraging the Internet for Economic Development I

Anatalio Ubalde, CEO & Co-Founder GIS Planning Inc., ZoomProspector.com & SizeUp

October 25 & 26, 2012

2

Leveraging the Internet for Economic Development I

Janet Ady, President Ady Voltedge

[email protected]

October 25 & 26, 2012

3

mailto:[email protected]

© GIS Planning Inc.

“In the 1980s the barrier to economic development was access to capital.

Today, it’s access to information.”

Denise FairchildPresident/CEO

Community Development Technologies Center & Special Advisor for South LA Investments to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Office


What happened?• Disruptive tech changes how

info is accessed• Change to all industries• Business-as-usual = ruin• Adopt tech early = advantage• ED that doesn’t provide info

gets bypassed


Do you get value for what you pay these people? Are they worth it? (page

74)

• Car salesmen• Insurance brokers• Head hunters

• Advertising agencies• Travel agents • Real estate agents


According to Jeff Jarvis:

• Real estate agents are more distrusted than tabloid writers

• “Eliminate advertising. Or at least fire your ad agency.”

• “…travel agents (oh, sorry, they’re already nearly extinct.”


Disintermediation• Old = information middleman• Present = disintermediation + transparency• New = add value + prosper


The way of the dinosaur• “I don’t publicly give out

information about my community because businesses need to call me so I can explain it to them.”


Reality

Because they don’t give the information out, they aren’t going to get called at all.


Hi. I’m an economic developer.

I’m here to help.


Choices

• Stay the course = irrelevance

• Reinvent = give it away so they come to you


A New Model for Economic

Development


Role Old New

Information Gatekeeper Distributor

Relationship Broker Connector

Technical Assistance Bureaucrat Enabler

Process Convoluted Transparent Efficiency

Marketing Say it Be it

Economic Developer Middleman Leader



This is also the context for the state

ofInternet & Marketing

for economic development


What do you want to know?• What to do? • Why do it? Why you should care.

• The best thing we can do for this training is get ourselves to think about this.


What do you want to know?• Technology is changing so fast (with

marketing implications) that telling you what to do only lasts so long.

• I use data to support the concepts. This is another key trend.


Managing Expectations

• No - drinking beer does not make you good looking and create lots of friends. (It gave me a beer belly).

• Economic developers have tried this approach too. And it leads to a lot worse than a hangover for the business.


Revealing your real advantages

• Don’t try to trick people with promises you can’t consistently deliver. They will discover your lies.

• Do reveal the opportunities of your community that help the business succeed in the long-term. Allow your marketing to be communication that educates.

• The Internet makes it difficult to trick people because they all have access to so much information. Instead, the Internet is great for teaching and learning.

http://www.coveringcommunities.org/keyinsights/index.html


Future organization

• High Touch and High Tech (I can give copy)

• Will research DRIVE our organizations?• Is it the end of intuition?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0553805401/ref=dp_image_0/104-8513145-2283141?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books


"The great part about the Internet of all the existing

mediums from before is that it's

the first one that is truly global, and its impact is massive."

- Terry Semel Yahoo's former

CEO


"With the growth of the Internet as a site selection tool, today’s prospects often conduct the early stages of a search without contacting

the communities they are considering. While that makes the process more efficient for both site

seekers and economic development organizations, it also means that communities with lower-

quality web offerings may be missing opportunities without even realizing it."

Steve StackhouseArea Development


Who: Julie Roehm, Director of Marketing Communications, ChryslerAdvertising Budget in 2005: $2 billionAdvertising Age ranking: #6 in the United States

“Roehm rarely misses a chance to talk about how delighted she is with online advertising.”

How delighted is she? - In 2004 she spent 10% of the advertising budget online; - In 2005 she is allotting closer to 18%; - In 2006 she plans to allocate more than 20%.

In 2006 roughly $400 million of Chrysler's money that used to go into TV, newspaper, and magazine ads will be spent on the Internet.

"I hate to sound like such a marketing geek, but we like to fish where the fish are."

- Julie Roehm, Director of Marketing Communications, Chrysler


The online advertising advantage & challenge

• Advantage: Google, Yahoo! & MSN can provide an ad the moment they are looking to buy or research that item.

• Disadvantage with large corporations: Creating and fostering an emotional attachment to the brand.

Source: Forbes Magazine, August 8, 2005


The online advertising disadvantage & advantage

• Why the disadvantage has changed and big companies are embracing it: Broadband.

• Now they can create messages more like TV commercials

• Broadband has caused the avg. time spent online to grow 50% since 2001

• 15 – 30% of all media time is spent on the Internet

Source: Knowledge Networks (Aug. 2005) & Forrester Research


Consumer Technology Adoption

Source: Nielsen/NetRatings http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0712/


Web Connection Speed Trends Work Users (US)

Source: Nielsen/NetRatings http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0906/


The Internet is not TV

At least not yet.But maybe soon.


What could happen to economic developers that don’t leverage the Internet


Topics

• Statistics• Exercise Survey• Marketing Tools &

Comparative Advantage• Marketing Concepts & the

Internet• 5 Basic Website

recommendations• Targeting means knowing

the audience

• Domain Names• Website Design

– Design– Basic Content– Dynamic Websites

• Getting people to your website

• Measuring Results• Budgets• E-mail Marketing• Search Engines


StatisticsHow do the numbers add up?


The Internet is truly global.


It’s big (487 billion gigabytes), and it’s still growing rapidly.


• 52% of the 12–32 year-old cohort watch videos online, 35% use social networking sites, and 32% read blogs.

• 59% of 33–44 year-olds use the Internet to visit government websites.


Historical Words from the Skeptics "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be

seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in

particular?" -David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the

radio in the 1920s.

"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home. "

- Ken Olsen, President, Digital Equipment, 1977US computer engineer & industrialist (1926 - )

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://oasis.fiu.edu/graphics/TelephoneAntique.jpg&imgrefurl=http://oasis.fiu.edu/Ch6/ch6page3.htm&h=400&w=400&sz=37&tbnid=4MyL-XmWCDsZmM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=120&hl=en&start=4&prev=/images?q=antique+telephone&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.swiftsite.com/radioman/sample.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.swiftsite.com/radioman/loc.htm&h=207&w=267&sz=26&tbnid=_8FFttDhzTekoM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=108&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images?q=antique+radio&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mopo.ca/uploaded_images/lisa2-714414.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mopo.ca/2005_09_01_archive.html&h=308&w=454&sz=46&tbnid=D03CRB2esXhi7M:&tbnh=84&tbnw=124&hl=en&start=3&prev=/images?q=old+computer&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=


Historical Words from the Skeptics “I think there is a world market for

maybe five computers." - IBM Chairman, Thomas Watson, 1943.

“It would appear that we have reached the limits of what is possible to achieve with computer technology,

although one should be careful with such statements, as they tend to sound pretty silly in five years"

- John Von Neuman, 1949

“The Internet will catastrophically collapse in 1996. "

- Robert Metcalfe, co-creator of Ethernet, founder of 3Com and inventor of Metcalfe’s law (value of networks), 1995


The Past


Past Econ. Dev. Online Characteristics

Static

Slow

Peripheral strategy

My first website


www.wpnet.org


www.cityofracine.org


www.phila.gov


Vallejo


Past > Present > Future


We don’t all live in the present

Past FuturePresent

We don’t all live in the present


Marketing & Communications (Old Way)

Meeting Businesses

Familiarization Tours

NewslettersE-mail

Press Releases

Advertising

Videos (VHS or DVD)

Brochures

Website

Site selection information

Media & Public Relations

Trade Shows

Direct Mail

Telemarketing

Special Events


Econ. Dev. Moves from Offline to Online Offline Online

Meeting Businesses

Familiarization Tours

Newsletters

E-mail

News Releases

Advertising

Videos

Brochures

Website

Site selection GIS assistance

Media & Public Relations

Trade Shows

BlogSocial Media

Telemarketing

Direct Mail

Special Events


Pass out Exercise Envelopes

Located on Table


Exercise Questions

1. How has the use of Internet technology affected your life and the way you do business?

2. How has the Internet affected the field and practice of Economic Development?

3. How will it?


Workshop Survey


Ask yourself:

• “How is the Internet (and IT) changing our work, the work of our competition, and the expectations of our customers?”

• “How can the Internet and information technology help us?”


Building on Earlier• Marketing is positioning & differentiation• Develop effective message to communicate

attributes/advantages• Persuade the customer to “buy”


A Few Marketing Basics

Concepts, Explanations & the Internet


ED Marketing

• Marketing must have objectives and results that can be quantified. Why invest if you can’t measure value?

• Touchy-Feely marketing is best for people who have huge budgets and want feel-good results that can’t be quantified

• Changing people’s minds about your community isn’t enough if it doesn’t get them to invest

• Awareness is not the point. Investment is. • Am I marketing in ways that facilitate investment in my

community? • Am I providing the information and analysis tools businesses

need to consider my location?


Warm & Fuzzy vs. Business Case

Qualitative• “Will I feel good about

having my business here?”• It won’t feel good if I can’t

make money.

• Not everything is about money. So I’m willing to trade quality of life for $

Quantifiable• “Can I make money there?”

• “Does it have the right combination of qualities such as location, workforce and cost?”

• This is how successful businesses are making decisions today

http://www.sachsreport.com/thehumanfactor2.htm


Reaching your Audience

• Mass Marketing vs. Direct Marketing

• Mass marketing is dying because it doesn’t work well and EDs don’t have the money to make it work

• Direct Marketing is about communicating with the right people using the right message


Getting Noticed: Reach & Frequency • Reach – Number of people exposed to

your ad• Frequency – How often you send the

message• > 90% of TV ads the morning after are

not remembered ($9 out of every $10 wasted). So many of these sell the brand and not the product

• Muhammad Ali used frequency because it works

• With TV or Print, Reach & Frequency cost. Boy does it cost.


Getting them to your website• Target those that have an interest• Reach & Frequency still matter• “Interruption” marketing is the start, not the

end• You’re used to using incentives, use them here

– give me a selfish reason to go to your website• Move them from high cost marketing that is

forced on them to low cost marketing they request


6 reasons the Internet is great for targeted marketing

1. Stamps are free2. Printing is free3. Frequency is free4. Testing is 100 times faster5. Response Rates are 15 X higher6. You can teach over the web

Source: Seth Godin – Permission Marketing


Why the Internet is great for word-of-mouth

1. Easy to spread ideas because of the Network

2. When someone likes or doesn’t like something it is easy for them to tell the people they know.

3. Forward. Like. Retweet. Share.


Online Communication

Trends


The Marketing Director Becomes a Marketing Coach

• Your Marketing Director isn’t the only voice for online communication

• They are a Marketing Coach who helps direct the various channels of information flows about your organization.

The Moment of Relevance

• The unique point when a customer/business has a problem and is looking for a solution.

• Today, the Internet is often the first resource people choose when at the moment of relevance.


Permission Marketing

• The old way to market involved interruption marketing (15 second television ads)

• The new way to market to your customers is Permission Marketing. You give your customers control, respect, and the choice to listen to you. You ask them for Permission.

• Using Permission Marking helps build relationships with those who do decide to listen to your message, creating more loyal customers.

Source: Permission marketing: turning strangers into friends, and friends into customers. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1999


Economic Development

Marketing That Works Today


The Now of E.D. Marketing

Some marketing strategies simply aren’t as effective as they used to be or are not effective at all


Now: Most Effective Marketing

Source: National Survey of Economic Developers, GIS Planning Inc. 2012

Telemarketing

Videos (VHS, DVD, etc)

TV/Radio Advertising

Print Advertising

Direct Mail

Brochures

Company Blog

Online Advertising

Online Videos (YouTube, etc.)

Slogans, Logo and Graphic Identity

Trade Shows and Conferences

Targeted Lead Development Databases

Social Media

E-Mail

Special Events

Public Relations

Site Selection Consultants and Familiarization Tours

Out-of-Town Meetings with Businesses

Website

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Most Effective Economic Development Marketing


Economic Development Online

Telemarketing

Videos (VHS, DVD, etc)

TV/Radio Advertising

Print Advertising

Direct Mail

Brochures

Company Blog

Online Advertising

Online Videos (YouTube, etc.)

Slogans, Logo and Graphic Identity

Trade Shows and Conferences

Targeted Lead Development Databases

Social Media

E-Mail

Special Events

Public Relations

Site Selection Consultants and Familiarization Tours

Out-of-Town Meetings with Businesses

Website

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Most Effective Economic Development Marketing



Why? Comparative Advantage

The Internet compares favorably as a strategy for results


Any questions?• If you wanted to know or research anything, where

would you go to find the answer? • What do you do when you go to a website and don’t

find the information you want?


The Internet is a very different type of marketing tool

• Marketing strategies try to get people to you so you can sell

• The Internet is both. It can get people to you and it sells. That makes it different.

• Convergence.


Multipurpose Internet• When used properly the Internet is a good

tool for– Marketing AND ALSO– Communication– Education– Sales

• The Internet is an exceptional tool for targeted, one-to-one, marketing.


Designed for the Right Target Audience


If you website could do anything, what would it do?

• Why do you want people to go to your website?

• What do you want them to do when they get there?

• Is it easy (obvious) for them to get to their goal and yours?


Encouraging the Audience

• Who are you targeting? • What is your message? • Why would they want to talk

to you?


Domain Names

• Government Standard– City – www.ci.indianapolis.in.us– County – www.co.solano.ca.us– State – www.state.md.us

• Non-standard– www.newlondonwi.org– www.burlesontx.com– www.peachtreecitygeorgia.com

• Marketing-driven– www.chooseEasterCentralIowa.org– www.BusinessReadyWI.com

http://www.ci.indianapolis.in.us/

http://www.co.solano.ca.us/

http://www.state.md.us/

http://www.newlondonwi.org/

http://www.burlesontx.com/

http://www.peachtreecitygeorgia.com/

http://www.chooseeastcentraliowa.org/


More on Domains

"Web addresses that are descriptive (northbrook.il.com) are much more valuable than acronyms of organizations (LEDC.com) or solely names of cities, e.g. Springfield. (Which Springfield? Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, or Oregon?) Think geography, not organization. Site selectors have a geographic focus. You run the risk of getting lost in the generic lists."


Domain Names & Branding• When you launch a new branding campaign,

be sure you secure the Internet domains before you make a public announcement. Edinburgh, Scotland, launched a new advertising slogan, "Inspiring Capital".

• A disgruntled citizen acted fast and got the domain, www.inspiringcapital.com.


www.inspiringcapital.com


When to Choose a Sub-Domain or Microsite1.) Do you have information you want to update frequently and are

dependent on someone outside of economic development to update for you?

2.) Can you achieve your specific communication, traffic, transactional, and strategic goals within the website of the larger parent entity such as the city/county or Chamber website?

3.) How easily can a visitor get from the home page of the parent website to your economic development pages?

4.) If the “parent” website is uncommitted to improving, does being associated with the parent website reflect negatively on your economic development organization’s image?

5.) How large is the area you serve?

6.) Does your potential website have a highly targeted audience, even more so than a general economic development website audience?

7.) What would you as a customer want?


Microsites


What to put on your website


Today’s GoalsShare with you what we’ve learned in evaluating over 100 economic development websites• The “Economic Development” angle • Cut through the clutter

Ady Voltedgec

© GIS Planning Inc.89

The E.D. Marketing Spectrum

Ady Voltedgec


Your Brand

“If you don’t have a brand, you don’t know who you are. And if you don’t know who you are, then I don’t either, and I’m going to move on.”

Dennis DonovanWDG Group

Ady Voltedgec


“Recently, I received an email from a group claiming to have 18 target industries. That’s ridiculous, and impossible. I told them to take me off their mailing list.”

Jay GarnerGarner Economics

Ady Voltedgec


Your BrandWho (audience)What (positioning)Why (data support of positioning)

Important notes:• More than a Logo!• Differentiation • Your Story• Consistency & Repetition• Integration

Ady Voltedgec


Your Website Content

• What are the three most popular features/content on your website?


What Your Colleagues Have

User-generated content (blogs, forums)Transactions (business licenses, permit applications, etc.)

Comparisons to other areasFormatting option for mobile devices/mobile apps

VideosGIS mapping tools for site selection analysis assistance

Testimonials and success storiesBusiness list

Employment training programsBusiness assistance services/how to start a business

Social media integrationMajor industries or business/industry clusters

IncentivesLabor force (availability and wages)

News about community (past or present)Land/sites and buildings inventory

Major employersInfrastructure (utilities and transportation)

Quality of life (climate, schools, housing, culture, healthcare, etc.)Maps

Demographic reportsHyperlinks to other organizations

Staff directory and contact information (phone, fax, email, address)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%22%

38%36%

18%50%

44%50%

65%67%

64%56%

69%77%

73%79%

76%79%

77%83%

79%84%

89%93%

27%19%27%

49%23%

32%28%

14%15%

18%28%

16%10%

15%9%

12%10%13%

7%13%

10%6%

3%

Have Will implement in 2-5 years



User-generated content (blogs, forums)Videos

Transactions (business licenses, permit applications, etc.)Formatting option for mobile devices/mobile apps

Business listComparisons to other areas

Social media integrationNews about community (past or present)

Hyperlinks to other organizationsTestimonials and success storiesEmployment training programs

Quality of life (climate, schools, housing, culture, healthcare, etc.)Business assistance services/how to start a business

GIS mapping tools for site selection analysis assistanceMajor employers

IncentivesStaff directory and contact information (phone, fax, email, address)

Major industries or business/industry clustersMaps

Infrastructure (utilities and transportation)Demographic reports

Labor force (availability and wages)Land/sites and buildings inventory

24%33%

48%51%

53%55%

60%60%

67%67%

70%73%74%

77%80%81%

83%83%85%86%

90%91%91%

Most important features on an ED website?



Website Content

http://www.eyewire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/View.woa/wa/viewProduct?product=409041





Web Developer Options• ED Website Consultant

– likely better quality, focused solution, ED-specific tools• Professional Web Developers

– possibly local, design oriented, less/no ED experience• Do-it-yourself / in-house

– control your own destiny• Qualified Lay Person

– lower cost, often lower quality• How to choose a website developer for your E.D. Website


Web Page EssentialsThe Business Card of Web Pages

• Names and Titles (or what the staff person is responsible for)

• Mailing/Street Address• Phone Numbers• Fax Number• E-mail


Data versus Information

“Data, data everywhere, And no one stops to think.”

Anonymous

Ady Voltedgec


From Data to Information• The Raw Ingredients:• Market Characteristics• Operating Costs• Operating Conditions• Quality of Place The Finished Products:• Your Positioning and Story• The Business Case for your Place

TM

Ady Voltedgecc


Community Profile

• Major Employers• Utilities• Transportation• Taxes• Union/Non-Union• General

• Quality of Life– Climate– Education– Culture and Art– Healthcare– Housing– Cost of Living

Web Page Basics


Target Industry Profiles

• Major employers• Wages by occupation• Unique locational assets• Testimonials• Key location criteria for sector


Business Assistance

“What can you do to help me?”• Assistance• Services• Programs• Incentives

Web Page Basics

http://www.ct.gov/ecd/cwp/view.asp?a=1097&q=251104


Starting a Business

• Road map through the process• Checklist• Contact Information

Web Page Basics


Employee Training

• List of Employee Training Organizations– Agencies– Educational Institutions

• Employee Training Incentives

Web Page Basics


New Business Development

• What’s new in your community?• Prospective business – “what am I joining?”• Existing business – continuing success?• Write your own press release

Web Page Basics


Planned Economic Development

• Where is your community going?• Community Vision• New projects in the pipeline• Painting your picture of the future

Web Page Basics


Maps

• Local• Regional• State/National

Web Page Basics


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Save Time• Answer Typical Questions

Web Page Basics


LinksLink to your Economic Development Partners

• Chamber of Commerce• ED Office• Regional ED organizations• Small Business Assistance Agency• Employment/Workforce Organization

Don’t list everyone you know; group the links into logical categories.

Web Page Basics


Database & Application

Driven Websites


Dynamic Web Sites

• Database Derived Websites– Access, DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.

• Application Driven Results– Microsoft IIS, Sun Solaris, Apache– ASP, .NET, CGI, PHP, JSP, etc.


Reasons for Dynamic Pages• User Controlled Experience

– Faster Information Retrieval• Easier to Maintain• Reduction in Errors

– Single Data Source• Decrease your long term costs


Online Demonstration

Choose Maryland


Getting people to your website

It’s called marketing.


Interruption Marketing

Getting people to your website through advertising

© GIS Planning Inc.Pennsylvania Power & Light

Good: Clear that this ad is encouraging the reader to go

to the PPL website for efficient site selection

Good: Saying it all in one graphic. “Are you exhausted

and abused from the site selection process? We have

your solution”

© GIS Planning Inc.Pittsburgh Regional Alliance

Good: Highlights the website address in the first words of the

main text.

Good: Graphic communicates “pushpin” which, today, also has

associations with maps.

© GIS Planning Inc.Georgia EMC

Good: Very, very clear

© GIS Planning Inc.State of Illinois

Have you ever seen this advertisement

before?

What do you think about this

advertisement?

What does it make you think?

What does it communicate?


Getting the Word Out

• Web Listing– Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, AOL, others

• Web Links– Link from related web sites

• Advertising– Web Page Banners and Ads– Traditional Media

• Media– Do something newsworthy with your site


Search Engines

http://www.ritilan.com/archives/images/blogimages/041304_dumbquestions.jpg


Yahoo Site Selection


Search Engine Users

• 85% of Internet users get to a website for the 1st time by using a Search Engine

• They knew what they wanted and used Search Engines to find the best vendor

• 33% of users believe that the 1st spot in search results is the best vendor (searchengineguide.com)

• 57% of Internet users use search engines every day

Source: Mind In Motion 2006


The Role of Programming in SEO

• Higher search engine rankings• Lower hosting/bandwidth costs• Faster page loading• Platform mobility

How to Optimize your website


Top 5 Search Engines 2012Search Engine Market Share

Google 66.2%

Microsoft 15.2%

Yahoo! 14.1%

Ask 3.0%

AOL 1.6%

Source: comScore.com January 2012


Online AdvertisingGoogle has become the remote control for the world; it’s the first stop, not TV.

—Will Margiloff, CEO of Innovation Interactive (Denstu)


• Online advertising offers a significant competitive advantage over offline advertising.

• The infinite “shelf-space” of the Internet means that transaction costs are lower, and content can be everywhere at once.

• Broadband has also opened up Internet advertising to video and audio which allows for a more emotional experience.

© GIS Planning Inc.Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers/Interactive Advertising Bureau

Online Advertising Revenue Growth


Internet Advertising

Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers/IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report (www.iab.net)


Pay Per Click• Used in “sponsored listing” in a bidding process • If you bid and you are among the top bidders your entry is

displayed and you pay the bid amount when it’s clicked. • Targeted advertising• Top players are Google (Adwords), Yahoo (Overture) and MSN


Many PPC & Online Ad Options

• Google• Yahoo• MSN• Ask• AOL• Facebook• MySpace• Many others


A/B Testing

• Experiment• Try different works• See what works


Search Engine Optimization

Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what Google says it is.

—Chris Anderson, Wired Magazine Editor-in-Chief


Search Engine Optimization• The art of optimizing your website to get good

positioning on the search results• Search engines keep getting “smarter” to find

relevant websites• 2007: $41 Billion Industry (Source: Business 2.0)


SEO General Guidelines

• Keep the design simple• Use mostly text titles/tags/links rather than images• Write for the users, not the search engines• Write valuable content, peppered with your key

phrases• Have simple navigation so the spider can get

everywhere easily


Hurt you in SEO

• Using Flash (thought not as much of a problem now unless you are using Apple products)

• Exclusive use of drop down menus• Using Frames (but hardly anyone does this

anymore)• Exclusive use of graphics for headers and

buttons• Poor navigation


The 12 Recommendations for Economic Development SEO

Keywords

These are not commandments because SEO strategies and effectiveness evolve so often.


1. The name of your organization

Some businesses’ only contact with you so far may be through your website.

So, to them, your name may also be your URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – which means your web address.


2. Variations on your name

• Great Place Economic Development Corporation

• Great Place EDC

• City of Great Place

• Great Place City


3. Misspellings of your Organization

Most people don’t think about this but misspellings happen all the time, even if Google says “Did you mean”

• Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, Pitsburg, Pittsberg

• Fairfield, Farefield, Fairfeeled

• Massachusetts, Massachewsets, Massechewsetts

• Connecticut, Conneticut, Connetticut

• Minneapolis, Mineapollis, Minnieapolis

• Cincinnati, Cincinati, Cinsinatti


4. Add “economic development”

• Your city’s name + economic development

• Your county’s name + economic development

• Your region’s name + economic development


5. Geography Name + Demographics

EDOs often have some of the best demographic information and make it more understandable than websites like the US Census.

Think about all of the different demographic-related words and combinations:

• Population

• Income

• Demographics

• Education

• Labor


6. Geography + Specialty or Focus

• Geography + Site Selection

• Geography + Foreign Direct Investment

• Geography + Business Expansion

• Geography + Business Relocation

• Geography + Entrepreneurship

• Geography + Incentives


7. Your geography's name + maps or map

• Minneapolis map• Boise maps • Portland map

Geographic elements that are map-related:

• Interstate or highway

• Downtown, Office Park, Central Business District

• Port

• Enterprise Zone


8. Your geography's name + GIS or geographic information system

Power users, site selection consultants, corporate real estate professionals, and analysts are searching directly for these high-value website tools


9. Your geography's name + property

This means all variations on each of the property types and terms:

• Sites and buildings

• Industrial properties, industrial sites

• Office building, office park, business park, research park

• Land, available land, industrial land

• Shovel-ready, certified site, sure site

• Retail, shopping center, power center, mall, strip center

• And many, many more combinations


10. Your geography's name + business

Spokane businessRochester businesses

Also major business names in your area:

• Kodak Rochester

• Dell Roundrock

• Wal-mart Bentonville


11. Your geography + business assistance

• Saginaw business assistance • Charlotte small business service• Waco entrepreneurs• Riverside small business development center• Pensacola how to start a business• Vorhees SBA • Doing business in Colorado • Invest in Rhode Island• Minnesota Incentives


12. Your geography + major industry

Your geography's name + name of major industry

You can do this for as many as you have:

• Austin software

• Charlotte business services

• Houston energy

• San Diego biotech

• Salinas agriculture


This is not an exhaustive list

It’s a place to get started.

There are many other keywords that are useful for your community so keep creating them.


What do I do with these keywords?

• Your website • Property GIS• Blog• Social Media • News Releases• Other websites


Keywords on your website

Do:

• Use the keywords in places that they make sense and in appropriate contexts.

• Use in multiple pages where appropriate • Use in Page Titles

Do not:

• Stuff pages with multiple mentions of the same keywords. This will lower your search engine ranking


Keywords on your property GIS

Do:

• Organize properties by type with detail such as sub-categories (office park, call center, flex)

• Have geographic identifiers with data• Include as much data as possible

Do not:

Send people to third-party demographic or business data vendors. This takes people away from your website and doesn’t help your SEO


Keywords on your property GIS


Keywords on your Blog

Do:

• Write naturally and include the use of keywords in places that they make sense and in appropriate contexts.

• Use Keywords in the title of your blog posts

Do not:

Stuff posts pages with multiple mentions of the same keywords. It won’t sound natural. Remember you blog is not just for keywords to be found, it’s for sharing valuable information.


Keywords for Social Media

Do:

• Understand that short is better. Twitter only allows short posts.

• Understand how keywords are searched such as # hashtags on Twitter

• Put the right keywords next to relevant content.

• Use general social media: Use Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter

• Use targeted social media: Integrate and aggregate your social media and keywords with a ZoomProspector.com Community Connection Page

Do not:

Use social media for your organization the same way you would use it as a person. If your audiences are businesses they don’t care if you did laundry over the weekend so don’t post that stuff.


Keywords for News Releases

Do:

• Understand that press releases are the old way. News releases are the new way. News releases reach more than just the press.

• Recognize that news releases live forever on the Internet.

• Include your targeted keywords in the body text and title if appropriate.

• Use a professional service. Get much more value.

Do not:

Stuff the news release with multiple mentions of the same keywords. Instead, create variations on the keywords.


Keywords for News Releases


Keywords for Other Websites

Do:

• Understand that you can create content on websites other than your own.

• Web 2.0 technology allows you to post relevant comments on articles so go ahead and post.

• Include your targeted keywords in your posts and remember to include information identifying your geography.

Do not:

Post just to post or if it is not relevant to the article. Writers and readers will find you irritating at best. You don’t want to turn people off to your organization.


Keywords for Other Websites


• Alters SERP (search engine results page) pages real-time based on every letter that a user types.

• Ability to change what being on the “1st page of Google” means.

• Longer, more specific keywords may not be as valuable as they once were if Google starts showing several SERP pages before a user has even typed one single word).

Google Instant


E-mail Marketing

Communication & getting them to your website


5 Things to Avoid

Image source: http://60secondmarketer.com


1. Complaints Reported spam /abuse

2. Spam trap addresses Purchased / rented mailing lists

3. High unknown user rates Bad addresses / high bounce rates

4. Blacklists Complaints

5. Spam Triggers ALL CAPS Overusing punctuation!!!!! Words like “Free loans just for you!” or “open this right now!”

5 Things to Avoid


1. Send email only to people who have given you permission 2. Build Your Email List3. Clean Up Your Email List 4. Make it Easy to Unsubscribe 5. Optimize with social media6. Provide relevant content 7. Killer Subject Line8. From Label9. Good mix of text/images 10. Ask!.. and Respond11. Segment Your Readers12. Test and Iterate

12 Things to Do


1. Send email only to people who have given you permission

12 Email Marketing Best Practices for Economic Development

2. Build Your Email List Link to opt-in forms on

website/blog/social media channels to sign up.

Email Service Providers provide free email opt-in forms

Collect emails at local events/ partner emails / websites (Chambers, City)

Provide incentives to sign up


12 Email Marketing Best Practices for Economic Development

6. Provide relevant content


Designing E-mail• From Line

– Organization Name or Similar – not a person’s name because they could change.

• Subject Line– Keep it short. 40 characters or less. – Don’t repeat “from line”, space is too valuable– Don’t use excessive punctuation!!!!!– Don’t use CAPITALIZATION (it’s considered

screaming)• Content: keep best stuff above the fold • Images: Don’t use as sole content

Source: Vertical Response, Webinar 2007


Actual Email Subject Lines• PIDC May 2012 Newsletter• 640,000 square foot building available in Roanoke, VA• QUESTION: Where can you find the “Maxxinista” capital of the world?• GNO Inc. Newsflash – LA Most Improved in USA• 49th Angel Fund Forum• The Square-Wyoming Site Selection Newsletter• Upcoming North Texas International Business Events• DCEDC Business Roundtable Event - Make Your Reservation Today• Excellent R & D/Manufacturing facility available in the Rockford Region• PIDC May 2012 Newsletter – TEST• Invitation to Play Golf with the Pros! Ady Voltedge c


Web Analytics


• You can’t manage what you can’t measure.

• The Internet provides some of the richest data available.

• Many free tools are available to help you take advantage of monitoring and analyzing your Internet data.


Metrics• Unlike Advertising, Direct Mail and Articles you

know if people are reading your website and who they are!

• Higher Cost Services– Nielsen//Netratings <www.netratings.com>– WebTrends <www.webtrends.com>

• Outsourced Services– WebTrends Live <www.webtrends.com>– Development Results (focus on ED)

<www.developmentresults.com>• Low Cost to Free

– Web Counters such as <www.chami.com>– Google Analytics – <www.google.com>


How EDs track their websites

Source: National Survey of Economic Developers 2011. GIS Planning, Ubalde & Simundza

Do not track

A website analytics service designed for the economic development industry

A standard website analytics service

2%

15%

82%

29%

5%

66%

2007 2011


Why are Metrics Important

• See what works• See what is not working• Fine tune your web site performance• Customize Content for Unique Visitors• Allows you to redevelop/repurpose your web

sites.• “Smart Web Sites”


Website Analytics

• Google Analytics• VisiStat• AuriQ Systems

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.realestateconnect.com/ny08/images/silver/Visistat_logo.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.realestateconnect.com/ny08/sponsors.aspx&h=75&w=150&sz=4&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=ZegCk9pQWHzkVM:&tbnh=48&tbnw=96&prev=/images?q=visistat+logo&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pixl8.co.uk/filemanager/google_analytics.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.pixl8.co.uk/index.cfm/pcms/site.solutions.search_engine_optimisation/&h=65&w=227&sz=3&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=Z1o-OmAoVwhvQM:&tbnh=31&tbnw=108&prev=/images?q=google+analytics+logo&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off

http://theshiva.us/images/blogimages/google-analytics-website-traffic-statistics.gif

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.auriq.com/images/img_logo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.auriq.com/products/rt_metrics.php&h=79&w=185&sz=8&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=6UHfrh4TeeBQHM:&tbnh=44&tbnw=102&prev=/images?q=AuriQ+Systems+logo&gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off


Measuring Use by Design

• Identify what people are clicking on and where

http://clickdensity.com/


1.) Who’s your audience?

2.) What should we be measuring?

3.) Quantitative + Qualitative

4.) Have a hypothesis, and use it to improve your site

5.) Take a varied approach

6.) Don’t get comfortable!

Make a Plan


• The simplest, most cost-effective way to start testing components of your website.

• Splits up two different instances of your website and statistically compares them to each other.

• Allows you to see which instance of your website provides you with more value.

A/B Testing


• More sophisticated than A/B testing—more than two variables can be tested.

• Takes more resources and time (requires more traffic to your site) than an A/B test, but also provides richer results.

Multivariate Testing


Try starting out with an A/B test to hash out big changes to your site, then fine tune it with smaller multivariate tests.


How often ED Websites Updated

Source: National Survey of Economic Developers 2012 by GIS Planning: Ubalde & Simundza

Daily

Weekly

Bi-weekly

Monthly

Quarterly

Bi-annually

Annually

11.8%

30.3%

12.5%

24.6%

12.3%

4.6%

3.8%

16.0%

30.3%

9.7%

23.7%

11.7%

4.0%

4.6%

2007 2011


Freshening Up Your Web site

• If you have the most dynamic, responsive, flexible and customizable marketing medium take advantage of it

• Modify it as information changes• Bring in new/relevant information, articles,

multimedia, news, etc.


Checking out good websites

• http://www.BuffaloNiagara.org • http://www.maricopamatters.com • http://www.alleghenyconference.org/pra/ • http://www.progressivebynature.com (special

focus)• http://www.100reasonsindiana.com

(microsite)

http://www.buffaloniagara.org/

http://www.buffaloniagara.org/

http://www.maricopamatters.com/

http://www.maricopamatters.com/

http://www.alleghenyconference.org/pra/

http://www.alleghenyconference.org/pra/

http://www.progressivebynature.com/

http://www.100reasonsindiana.com/

http://www.100reasonsindiana.com/


Anatalio UbaldeCEO & Co-Founder

[email protected]/in/[email protected]/ZoomProspectorYouTube.com/GISplanning

GISplanning.com

ZoomProspector.com

SizeUp.com


Janet AdyPresident

[email protected]

leveraging the internet for economic development

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